Plotter drum mounting apparatus

ABSTRACT

COMPLEMENTARY GROOVED RESISTENT SURFACES MAY BE USED TO EFFECT QUIET NON-BACKLASH TORQUE BETWEEN A DRUM AND DRIVE ASSEMBLY. THE CONTACT PRESSURE BETWEEN THE SURFACES MAY BE MAINTAINED BY A SPRING WHICH MAY BE COMPRESSED TO FACILITATE THE DRUM REMOVAL OR INSTALLATION.

March 2, 1971 AD PLOTTER DRUM MOUNTING APPARATUS Filed May 1 1369INVENTOR. JOSEPH FOfi/A/ E500 47' TOENEX United States Patent O3,566,617 PLOTTER DRUM MOUNTING APPARATUS Joseph Robin Read, La Mirada,Calif., assignor to California Computer Products, Inc., Anaheim, Calif.Filed May 1, 1969, Ser. No. 820,914 Int. Cl. F16d 3/64 US. Cl. 6414 1Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Complementary grooved resistentsurfaces may be used to effect quiet non-backlash torque between a drumand drive assembly. The contact pressure between the surfaces may bemaintained by a spring which may be compressed to facilitate the drumremoval or installation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Rotating drums are frequently employed invarious mechanical apparatus. In many such applications it is desirableor necessary to remove the drum from time to time to affect cleaning orloading of a roll of operating material. In a drum type plotter forexample, it is desirable to have the drum secured in a mounting whichwill allow quick and easy removal without the use of tools or otherspecific components. In addition, the drum mounting must be maintainedwith precision alignment and centering. Furthermore, in order to assurethe integrity of the plot, the coupling between the drum drive sourceand the drum must be positive and without backlash.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to providea positive coupling arrangement for a removable drum.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide anarrangement for mounting a rotatable drum which will allow the drum tobe quickly and easily removed without the aid of tools.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a mountingarrangement for a removable drum which will facilitate both convenientcentering of the drum and the maintenance of its positional alignmentwhile in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be obviousfrom the detailed description of a preferred embodiment givenhereinbelow.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a pair ofaccordant matting materials bonded between a drum and drive assembly fortorque transmission therebetween. The drum and drive assembly arealigned with the mats by a center pin, the drum being spring loaded atthe opposite end so as to effect a positive non-backlash type ofpressure contact between the complementary mats. Removal of the drum isconveniently accomplished by depressing the spring load so as to enablethe drum to clear the center pin.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side viewillustrating the operative elements of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view of the matting material used for obtaining positivenon-backlash drive.

3,566,617 Patented Mar. 2, 1971 ice Adverting to the drawings andparticularly to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the inventioncomprises a huh I having bonded thereto a first corrugated mattingsurface 2 and a drum 6 having mounted to its drive end hell 4 a secondcorrugated matting surface 3. The matting material may be rubber orneoprene and the grooves may be similar to that used on floors or stairsfor anti-slip purposes. A centering pin 5, which is attached to the hub1, is utilized to align the drum 6 with the hub 1, the location of thevalleys and peaks of the corrugated material being arranged so as toallow a mesh between the hub and drum when the drum is centered on thecentering pin 5 as shown. The two pieces of corrugated matting 2 and 3are held in mesh by the spring loading arrangement 8 which functions tomaintain the accordant hills and valleys of the two surfaces in pressurecontact thus forming a kind of positive clutch. The spring loadingarrangement 8 comprises a spring loaded flange 10 and tapered bearingsupport 9, the latter functioning as a support for the drum end bell 11as shown.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a typical matting material. Forpositive non-slip traction, the slope of the valley walls at themidpoint should be at least 45 degrees. The hub piece 2 and the end bellpiece 3 must of course be complementary, the respective hills andvalleys having the relationship shown in FIG. 1.

In order to remove the drum, or remount it after it has been removed, itis only necessary to depress the spring loaded flange 10 to the right(in the direction of the arrow 13) so as to compress the load spring 14a distance suflicient to allow the drive end bell 4 to clear thecentering pin 5.

Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shownand illustrated, it will be understood that numerous changes,modifications and substitutions may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An arrangement for mounting a removable drum comprising:

a rotatably mounted hub member having a resilient corrugated mattingattached thereto;

a drum having a circular opening concentric with the cylindrical axis ofsaid drum and a complementary corrugated resilient matting attached toone end of said drum;

a centering pin aligning said hub and drum with respect to said mattingsurfaces; and

a spring loaded flange having a protruding tapered hearing supportsurface openably fitting an opening in the other end of said drum forsupport thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,828,370 10/1931 Huddle 64292,512,407 6/1950 Wood 64--14X 2,830,445 4/1958 Kressin 6414 3,106,27410/1963 Madsen 64-29X MILTON KAUFMAN, Primary Examiner

